Love Is Just Another Game
by Nessi Yagami
Summary: All Near's life, the genius has been consumed with his plethora of toys and games. But what happens when he plays one very challenging game involving a blonde chocoholic, dark moments, silliness and lots of fluff? Mello-x-Near with a hint of Matsuda! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_Love Is Just Another Game_

_Mello -x- Near _

_Chapter One_

Mello leaned against the pale wall of his room at Wammy's House and took a puff of his cigarette in utter annoyance. Through the open door, he caught a glimpse of Near walking down the hallway. Near. His rival. His enemy. His only competition.

Mello grunted with just the thought. He threw the burned butt in the ashtray that lay on his desk and collapsed on his bed, mentally exhausted from the day's studies. Crawling under the blanket, he began to relax himself into sleep. But he had to do one thing first. Mello reached deep into his pillowcase and pulled out a picture of the only thing he missed from his childhood. The old, torn photo was of a six year old Mello and his twin sister Kahiri sitting in a sandbox, the last time they would ever play together. He kissed the picture and pressed it tightly against his chest. Ten years since the accident where their parents lost custody. Ten years today since the car crash that took his Hiri away from him.

Once the single tear he shed hit the pillow without a violent swipe of his hand, it just paved the way for many more to come. Small, salty tears crashed against Mello's chest and pillow, soaking him. For once he didn't shun his overwhelming emotions. The blonde lied there and let the gentle sobs take over his body and carry him into the darkest part of the night.

Mello was so overcome with emotion, he didn't even notice Near kick open the door to his room. The white haired genius wore an annoyed scowl as Mello had woken him up with his cries. Near's annoyance faded, however, as he saw the blonde's body shaking and he heard the unmistakable sound of crying coming form under his pillow. Near swore he could feel his heart sink to his feet and he couldn't understand why. Mello was a self-centered, over completive, chocolate obsessed asshole. He hated him and wanted to beat him at all costs. So why did Near's heart break a little more with every tear that fell from Mello's deep amber eyes?

Unsure of himself, but driven completely by emotion Near took a tentative step toward Mello's bed. He was waiting for Mello to explode with anger any minute, to hurl insults at him by the second, how it always had been. But even as he continued in tiny steps, Mello did nothing but shake and sob. Near finally reached the bed and he carefully sat down next to Mello.

"M?" he asked quietly.

Mello said nothing.

"Mello?" Near placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Mello stirred a bit, but he was too distraught to shake Near's hand away. And to be honest, he didn't really want to at the moment. The contact he had never allowed before felt good to him, especially when he was in so much pain. "Go… away…." he said weakly.

Near didn't move. "What is it Mello?" Near's eyes rapidly searched the room for a trigger. The only thing he could find that was out of place was a small photograph on the wood floor before him. He picked it up. "Who's this?" he pointed to the little girl.

Mello took the picture in his hands and studied it, almost as if he did not know himself. Suddenly, he crumpled up the photo and threw it across the room as hard as he could. He collapsed in another heap of sorrow. "She was my twin sister, Kahiri. On this day, ten years ago, she died in a car crash when we were six. I…." he started to cry again. "I miss her so much Near…."

Near's eyes widened to Mello addressing him by his name and not "you twit" or "you big headed idiot" or "you ****". He must've really been messed up. Without thinking it through, he slid close to Mello and shyly wrapped his arms around him. "It's okay, don't cry. We don't have to talk about it now, but if you ever need someone to listen, I'm always here." he whispered into his ear. He buried his nose in Mello's soft hair and breathed in his unique scent, a mix of expensive cologne and chocolate. Near felt very at peace with Mello in his arms and it surprised the hell out of him. It soon became apparent that Mello was enjoying it too, as his sobs slowly subsided to cries, cries to quick breaths and quick breaths to a relaxed sniffle every now and again. His arms slowly tightened around the ivory haired boy.

It was hard to believe they hated each other's guts just a few hours before.

Mello nuzzled his head close into Near's chest and murmured. "Thank you Near. I needed to hear that. And to feel…this…" he sighed softly with pleasure. Mello could almost sense Near's nervousness and he ran his hand back and forth across his chest to emphasize his words. Damn!, Mello thought to himself as he felt the rock hard muscles of Near's chest and abs. He felt them again, this time more slowly, savoring the feel of them beneath his thin white pajama shirt. Mello was amazed. Near was so much shorter, younger and more childish than him, yet his muscles were so much more developed than Mello's thought his could ever be. Instead of feeling the pang of jealousy he should've, he felt….attraction?

WTF WAS GOING ON?

Near responded quietly. "Don't thank me. Any good person would've comforted a friend in pain." Near let the word "friend" roll of his tongue casually to see what Mello would make of it. Some part of him had decided that he didn't want to dislike, much less hate, Mello anymore. Near smiled, feeling Mello touch him so tenderly felt very nice and he found something in each of his touches…..pleasure? Near shook his head. I always knew this hatred would end with me falling for him…..he sighed softly and began to run his fingers through the blond silk before him.

"That feels good." Mello whispered, looking Near in the eye for the first time that evening. He had no idea what was going on but all a sudden he found Near slightly less annoying.

Near smiled wider. "Likewise." he placed his other hand on top of Mello's hesitantly. "So are you over your little emotional bit or are you going to start crying like a baby again?" he said jokingly

The smirk returned to Mello's lips and he chuckled. "You little-"

Near frowned slightly. "I know, I know. Twit, jerk, idiot, fool, L wannabe. How about something new Marsh-mello?"

Mello's smirk grew more pronounced. "Something new, he says. Well, how about no insults this time? Why don't I show you how I feel?"

Near's expression remained unchanged. "Sure, whatever. Just don't punch my face."

Mello tilted Near's chin up so that his onyx eyes were level with Mello's. His eyes were full of childlike curiosity at what Mello was up to. Mello caressed Near's cheek in his hand with a touch gentler than he thought he was capable. Especially towards another guy. Mello knew what he wanted but something stopped him cold, and he was then too nervous to go on.

Near knew what his friend wanted and he found that deep inside he wanted it too. He leaned in so close he could feel Mello's light bangs brushing against his cheek. "I want this too." he reassured him, before pressing his lips to the other boy's. Mello's warm breath tickled his neck and chest as they broke apart and locked lips over and over again. They became lost in each other and their newfound attraction.

"HEY MELLO, I JUST BEAT LEVEL 61 OF-" The brand new PSP plummeted to the wooden floor and crashed into a million tiny pieces.

Near and Mello pulled apart to see Matt standing in the doorway with a shocked expression and a destroyed PSP at his feet.

Boy, did they have some explaining to do.

Meanwhile, Matsuda flew through the sky with a superman outfit on, chanting "I WILL KILL KIRA!". And then, he flew into a tree.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Love Is Just Another Game

Mello -x- Near

Chapter Two

Matt looked down at his broken PSP with a bummed expression. "Aw man." he moaned. "Watari just bought that for me…"

As Matt was busy mourning his lost toy, Mello snuck another tender kiss on Near's lips. Matt's head snapped up to the sound. "WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT?" he yelled. "Now tell me you two, WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WALK IN ON?"

Mello blushed and looked over at Near who had his normal calm, unnerved expression. "We were…..we were umm…." he couldn't really find the words. It had all happened so suddenly…

Near spoke up. "We were kissing. A lot."

Matt's eyes widened and then he shouted at the top of his lungs. "WHY?"

Mello spoke this time. "We like each other." he blushed again.

Near smiled. "We were experimenting…and it felt good…"

The redhead swayed like he was about to faint, his cigarette falling out of his mouth. "You LIKE each other? Mello, what happened to hating the little "albino twerp" and Near, how could you kiss a "hot headed idiot"?"

The boys exchanged glances and shrugged in unison. "We don't know." Both of them replied.

Matt leaned against the wall to support himself. "I can't believe my two best friends fell for each other. I guess I should've known this would happen sooner or later. You two are just alike, no explanation necessary."

Mello raised an eyebrow. "Your TWO best friends?"

"I thought I was your best friend, I didn't know you talked to Mello…" Near trailed off.

Matt smirked. "I didn't want to get between all the drama but the two of you are both pretty cool guys." he turned on his heel and began to leave. "Good night, lovebirds."

"Wait, Matt?" Mello called as he was closing the door.

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I wouldn't do that, you guys are my best friends after all." he paused. "But what is it, Mels? You don't want the whole of Wammy's to know you swing the other way?" he lit another cigarette and breathed in.

Mello laughed. "No man, I'm bi and proud of it. It's just that romance between L's two potential successors….there'll be so much talk, ya know?"

"I get ya. Night, you guys".

"Night." Near and Mello responded together as the door closed. Mello lied back. "I guess we should get some sleep." he slid over to make room for Near to get comfortable.

"You mean I can sleep here tonight?"

"Of course." Mello beamed, and reached for the unwrapped chocolate bar on his nightstand. He took a bite and relaxed on the comfy pillow, looking up at Near.

Near returned the smile and lied down on the bed, facing Mello. He yawned loudly and his eyelids began to flutter. Mello had been watching Near when he felt his own tiredness begin to set in.

"You're so cute. Come here. " he said, opening his arms to the younger boy. Near's gray eyes held a bit of surprise for a second, then he nodded and rested his head on Mello's chest. He took a nice, long breath. It just felt so naturally wonderful to be close to the chocoholic. "Thank you again, Near." he said, kissing Near's forehead.

"You don't have to-" yawn, "thank me, Mels." Near found Mello's hand under the blanket and held it tightly in his own as he fell asleep. Mello smiled and drifted off to sleep as well.

Meanwhile. It's Matsuda time!

Matsuda sat up rubbing his head. "Damn it man, that hurt like hell…" he moaned, getting to his feet. He pulled his cape from under him and dusted it off well. "NOW BACK TO KILLING KIR-"

Quiet snickering could be heard from the bushes.

"Who's there?" he asked in a panicked voice. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

A family of three squirrels emerged from the undergrowth. The largest one bared it's teeth at Matsuda, warning him to stay away from his family. But the superhero wasn't having it!

"How dare you growl at me….you….you…you MINION OF KIRA!" Matsuda drew his sword (yes his superman costume came equipped with a sword) and charged at the brave rodent and his kin.

The squirrels shrieked and started running and screaming "WHO/WHAT IS KIRA?" , leaving Matsuda to embark on the chase of his life!

To Be Continued.

(Reviews are much appreciated! Tell me what you like, what you don't like and what I should improve on! Thanks! =^_^= )


	3. Chapter 3

Love Is Just Another Game

Mello -x- Near

Chapter Three

The bright golden rays shone brightly into the westernmost room of the Wammy's house orphanage, awakening both of L's potential successors. The two stirred and sat up, looking at each other. "Good morning, Ne." Mello leaned over and kissed Near's cheek before getting out of bed. "Good morning Mels." he replied in his normally soft voice. He got up out of the bed and started off to his room to take a shower and get dressed.

Matt sprinted down the hall toward Mello's room, his cries of joy radiating throughout the main house. "MELLO! LOOKY AT MY AWESOMESAUCE NEW PSP!" He stopped right before the door, and hesitantly opened it. "You guys aren't making out again, are you?" he said with a smirk, seeing Mello pulling into a pair of black jeans.

"Shut up Matt. " Mello laughed. "So I see Rodger got you a new PSP already huh? You lucky dog!" He played around with the device for a little while before handing it back to his friend.

"I know!" Matt's eyes glowed with excitement. "Hey, uh Mels?"

"What's up?" Mello laid back on the bed absentmindedly, wondering what he should do with his Saturday.

"So do you and Near really like each other or did I sneak in a little too much liquor last night?"

"You didn't have any at all, dumbass. You naturally act drunk." Mello teased. "But yeah, we do. I think I've had feelings for him for a long time now and I'm just now figuring them all out." Mello took a bite of his chocolate bar from the night before. "You know yesterday was…"

"I know." Matt's eyes softened behind his goggles.

"And I guess I had a breakdown, I dunno what happened…." Mello trailed off. "But he came in and held me until I stopped crying. No one's….ever done that before….. I knew how I felt about him, then." he watched for Matt's reaction.

Matt shrugged. "That's nice, man. Really nice. I'm glad you guys have finally figured it all out."

"What do you mean finally?"

Matt turned his PSP off suddenly. "Mihael, get real. You and Near have been into each other since day one."

Mello scoffed. He didn't like to be easily figured out. "And how would you know that?"

Matt put his finger to his chin in thought for a moment, then faced the blond. "Our first time playing together when we were eight. Near was seven. Remember when you fell off the swing and you were crying and…"

"And Near dried my tears…hmm…" Mello realized that last night wasn't the first time Near had comforted him when he was down. How could he be so stupid, so greedy as to ignore what the two of them had had together for so many years? He'd wasted so much precious time trying to convince himself that he hated the one person who had ever been special enough to him to completely have his heart. He shook his head. "Maybe, you're right Matty. "

"Oh, I know I'm right." Matt smirked and lit a cigarette. A muffled knock on the door sounded. "You dressed yet Mels?"

"Are you dressed yet? Woah, what did I miss when I left last night? YES LEVEL 62!" Matt said abruptly.

Near blushed beet red and walked over to Mello. "I just didn't want to walk in with you undressed and so yeah…"

"Or did you?" Matt chuckled. "OH HELL YA! LEVEL 63!"

"SHUT UP MATT!" Both Mello and Near yelled playfully.

"Fine, fine." Matt stood up and began to walk out of the room, his eyes glued to his PSP. "Come get me if you wanna do something later."

"Alright." Near replied, then turned to face Mello. "So what do you want to do today?"

"Hmmm…..how about the beach! You could use a tan anyway, haha."

"Sounds good." Anything involving Mello sounded good to Near at the moment. "Let's get ready!" Near ran to his room to get ready for the beach.

Meanwhile. It's Matsuda time!

Matsuda chased the squirrels for awhile, and what a chase it was! But soon enough, the man just couldn't keep up with the small agile creatures and he collapsed on the ground. The triumphant leader squirrel jumped on Matsuda's face and started punching him with it's little paws. Matsuda, like the idiot he is, rolled around on the ground screaming in agony even though it didn't really hurt at all. Once the superhero was reduced to a whimpering, tear stricken fool, his attacker finally let up and scurried away with his family.

"THAT'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO MESS WITH KIRA'S SQUIRREL MINIONS!"

Matsuda groaned as he shakily stood in the middle of the road. "Well, at least I didn't get hit by a car or something-" his words were cut off as he got ran over by a very large truck. The driver did not stop driving.

Meanwhile. It's Kira task force time!

L sat at his desk, wondering when Matsuda was going to get back. After all, he had been gone for six days and he didn't have much vacation time left, especially for a case as important as the Kira case. L got up and paced to the window, looking down at the city street below the building.

"I wonder what that-" he stopped as he noticed a figure with long black hair and a superhero costume lying on the road. He/she/it had tire tracks all over his/her/it's back. L threw his head back in annoyance and exclaimed "MATSUDA, YOU IDIOT!" before alerting the rest of the task force and rushing to downstairs to save Matsuda, yet again.


End file.
